Meinders School of Business officials will host the ninth annual Women in Leadership Conference in April.
The conference addresses issues women face in the workforce and positions of leadership. It provides opportunities for networking and is designed to further participants’ professional development through leadership training.
The event will begin with registration at 7:30 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. April 12 at the Cox Convention Center, 1 Myriad Gardens.
The conference began in 2010 with a group of women who wanted to feature professional women and address issues like cultural awareness and the balance of work and family.
Melissa Cory, director of communications and executive and professional education for Meinders, co-founded the conference. She said the theme of this year’s event is “THRIVE.”
“What does it mean to thrive? How do we help each other thrive? Our speakers will address these questions and offer solutions,” Cory said. “We will feature a panel, ‘THRIVE in the Workplace,’ in the afternoon, which will address how company culture, policy and procedures help us thrive. Best practices and lessons learned regarding the #metoo campaign will be addressed.”
The #metoo campaign was a movement in 2017 that supported survivors of sexual violence.
This year’s lineup of speakers is:
– Dana Hertneky, News 9 anchor and reporter,
– Dr. Therese Huston, author and founding director for the Center of Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Seattle University,
– Rebecca Minkoff, global fashion designer,
– Victoria Naifeh, owner of Naifeh Fine Jewelry, and
– Honorable Cindy H. Truong, Oklahoma County district judge.
Presentation topics will include “Women in STEM,” “Championing Others” and “Leadership Advancement Strategies that Work.”
Beatrize Martinez, second-year law, said she attended the conference before and received new opportunities and mentors.
“It’s beneficial because it crosses party lines in topics and just gives women a pathway to being representatives in their community,” Martinez said. “Often women aren’t told, ‘You can be a senator, you can be mayor or you can be president.’ Even if they don’t hold those ‘higher-up’ leadership positions, it’s important that women offer input on decisions being made that will impact our future generations.”
A $199 fee is required to attend the conference, but Cory said volunteer opportunities and a limited number of student tickets are available at a reduced cost.
Participants earn six CLE bar credits for the day, which are required by practicing lawyers. The state of Oklahoma requires all attorneys 65 and younger to complete 12 CLE credits each year.
The conference is open to all students, regardless of their gender. Students can register at okcwomeninleadership.com/register/.
Students can email Cory at mcory@okcu.edu or follow the conference on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the handle @okcwomen to learn more about the conference and ways to offset the cost of attendance.
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